Karen Serianni, CTDI

Dog Training

Growing up there were always several family pets around the home. We had dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, a flying squirrel, guinea pigs, rabbits, fish, snakes, and other reptiles. My grandfather worked with animals in the wild as a live trapper and had a wildlife captivity license. This gave me amazing opportunities, such as holding baby otters, hand feeding a red fox named Tina, and witnessing a lot of other wildlife up close—such as a fisher.

A large portion of my childhood was spent on a farm. It was a place where my love of animals was enriched and fostered. My best friend Melanie lived upstairs and her parents rented from my family. We spent a lot of time with our horses, creating grand adventures over hundreds of acres of land. We participated in 4H together, trained our horses, and showed horses competitively. I even spent a summer working on a horse farm working horses and cleaning stalls!

Needless to say, I learned a lot about the lives of animals living on a farm. Not every event was happy—I also had to face the loss of a premature foal being born in the middle of winter. The anticipation of my mare’s first foal quickly changed from excited expectancy to sadness and grieving. Luckily we were able to witness other births over the years.

We had several dogs throughout the years! Two in particular, however, stood out among the crowd. Teeka was a German Shepherd that frequently went along with my friend Melanie and I on our horseback adventures. We loved having him watch over us, it made us feel safe. Of course, I looked out for him too. One day I was trying to get Teeka to jump up and put his paws on my chest. He missed and his paws scratched my face, leaving marks. I was worried my mom would be upset with him, so I told her I was horseback riding and a branch scratched my face.

On one of our adventures, while we were riding home, Melanie spotted a dog cowering in a ditch. We figured someone must've "dropped her off" on our dirt road. We did what we knew was right and brought her home. She appeared to be a Chow mix and she was a welcome addition to the farm and fit right in! We named her Bear. She began going along with us on our horseback rides. My poor mother never knew what we'd bring home next.

My sister was several years older than me, and bred different breeds of dogs at different times. I remember staying up all night to watch and wait—Just to witness the miracle of birth. I provided a hand and learned about whelping—In turn letting my sister get some well-needed rest.

As I got older, my life went in a different direction. Not due to a change in a love for animals, but just due to my life path. I genuinely missed spending time with animals and as soon as it was possible, I got my own dog again. Currently I own three dogs, and I spend a lot of time with them doing training, agility, and teaching commands. Of course, it isn't all just teaching and training! We spend time walking on trails and in fields—letting them sniff around and get some exercise. Developing bonds with my dogs is very reminiscent of my days on the farm. Each one has a unique personality and I try to work with and understand each trait they have.

I still miss the quiet trail rides on horseback where it was just me, my horse, my dog, nature, and my imagination. I sometimes reminisce about taking my horse up on the hill, far away from everything, and just laying on the grass staring up at the clouds. There's something about spending time with nature and animals that genuinely clears your mind and soul.

ABOUT DOG TRAINING​​

You will be impressed with how quickly and how much your dog can learn!

After working with and mentoring a positive trainer, I quickly realized that training dogs was something I loved. I was amazed at how quickly my own dogs learned basic obedience, nose work, agility, and tricks. It reminded me of the days on the farm training our horses.

I strongly advocate for positive training methods. This type of training creates a bond between you and your dog. It also increases the trust your dog has for you.

I offer group training sessions for manners and cues (obedience), tricks, and nose work. In addition, I offer private lessons for manners and behavioral isses at your home or where I hold group lessons in New Hartford. I will also work with mild aggression (no medical attention needed)

You will be a part of the training process, I will work with you, teaching you how to work with your dog. You and your family will be able to repeat what has been taught to help reinforce the training. Please give me a call, or send an email to set up a training session, or evaluation. I look forward to meeting you and your dog(s)!